Photo by AMAURI CRUZ FILHO on Unsplash
If you want to mix sport and luxury, there’s no better activity than golf. It’s strategic, yet enjoyable. It’s elegant but laid back. And it’s played at some of the most deluxe and beautifully scenic places around the world.
For passionate golfers, there’s nothing more exciting than playing a round on a new, exciting, and unpredictable course.
Rediscover these luxurious golf courses as gems for avid golfers. Some are local and others are international, but they’re all top-class and absolutely worth playing at if you ever get the chance.
Las Vegas, USA: Shadow Creek Golf Course
Welcome to the most expensive golf course in the world. To play a round here, you’ll need to fork out roughly $1000. That excludes golf carts, your celebratory drinks after your game, and the compulsory overnight stay at the MGM Mirage Resort.
Following a limousine drive from your suite, you’ll find yourself on the beautifully-manicured course. It’s a stunning green oasis located in the sparse desert, so from the start you’ll feel as if you’re in some kind of heaven.
The fairways are forgiving, but the greens are faster than they look and present a challenge. Trees are abundant across the course, providing a cosy feeling but also a tightness to each hole that can punish wayward shots.
The course has no specific signature hole, but each is unique and challenging in its own way. In particular, golfers will enjoy the par-3 5th, which has you playing over a forest down below the tee. Also, the par-3 17th features a tiny green that golfers aim for from the elevated tee. A lake guards the green, and a waterfall provides a distraction from the game.
Canada: Cabot Cliffs
You don’t have to travel far out of the country to experience exceptional golf. Cabot Cliffs golf course, at Cabot Cape Breton in Canada, is an excellent course that’s worth a visit if you happen to be in the area.
The course is open and expansive, providing stunning views that can prove to be a distraction. Trees only make an appearance on a few of the holes. Golfers will look out over the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the course spans across a variety of terrain, including forest, wetlands, and open fields.
Undulating fairways and sculpted greens make the course exciting for both beginners and experienced golfers. Elevation changes are a feature throughout the course.
The par-3 16th hole is the signature hole. Set on a cliff top, golfers will need to take the weather into account when choosing their shots on this hole. Other unforgettable holes include the 4th, which has two greens; and the par-5 7th hole, which needs a long carry over marshland to reach the tricky diagonal green.
If you prefer links-style golf, you can also try out the Cabot Links course.
Chicago, USA: Bunker Hill Farms
Playing a round of golf at Bunker Hill Farms is truly a once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list experience. It’s known as Chicago’s most exclusive golf course, and you have to be invited to play there. No golfer can just walk in, so if this is a dream of yours, you’ll need to make friends with the right people to get an invite.
That being said, it’s an extremely luxurious experience. The course is completely private, and if you’re playing on it, your small group will be the only people around.
You’ll be provided with a forecaddie who will not only guide you through the course with expert knowledge, but serve you cool beverages and lightly mist you with water if the weather is warm.
The fairways are wide, and there aren’t many bunkers throughout the course. Golfers will have to play over a lake on a few holes. The course has a slope rate of 130, and stretches 6709 yards in total.
There’s no signature hole on this course. But while the golf is good, if you do get a chance to play here, it’s about the full package rather than just the gameplay.
London: London Golf Club
Traveling to London any time soon? The London Golf Club’s International Course is open to the public. It offers links-style gameplay with water hazards on 5 of the holes and elevation changes across the course, which add a level of challenge.
The 4th hole in particular is a risk/reward hole that stretches 532 yards. A large bunker splits the fairway in two, and a lake forces the golfer to choose between going the long way around or risking the carry-over.
With soft fairways and fast greens, the course offers something for every level of golfer. It will require strategy and quick thinking to get a good score. It’s a good idea to hire a golf cart as the walk between tees is rather far and may add a bit of time to your round.
Singapore: Sentosa Golf Club
Singapore is all about luxury, and the Sentosa Golf Club has earned the title of the World’s Best Golf Club at World’s Golf Awards. It has two courses, but we recommend the Serapong for excellent golf.
The course is set against the Singapore skyline, proving that a golf course doesn’t need ocean or mountain views to be jaw-dropping. Golfers can expect classic contouring with larger and more strategically-placed bunkering than are usually seen on Asian courses.
The greens are large, but sculpted and fast. Golfers will need patience and strategy to get their putts right. Lakes also feature throughout the course, adding to the challenge.
The par-5 13th hole is the signature hole. Golfers will need to navigate water to the right and bunkers to the left, as the fairway narrows on the approach to the raised green. The green itself is contoured and undulating. It’s a risk/reward hole that requires careful club selection, and it’s recommended to use your wood or iron off the tee and go for a long second shot.
Conclusion
These luxurious golf courses are a once-in-a-lifetime experience and should be on every golfer’s bucket list. While golf is golf no matter where you play it, there’s something special about the combination of scenery, hospitality, gameplay, and luxury at these clubs.
About the Author
Jordan Fuller is an avid golfer who’s spent time on the fairways of some of the top courses around the world. When he’s not playing a round or coaching, he shares valuable golfing information, tips, and equipment on his website, Golf Influence.
